Baffle systems for separating liquid entrained in a gas stream have been used for many years. For example, baffle systems are conventionally used for separating water from an air stream in a paint application system. The paint overspray is washed from the paint application booth with water or a water emulsion. The water and paint overspray is then received through scrubbers generally located in the floor below the paint application booth. The gas scrubber removes paint particles from the air in the paint booth, entraining the paint particles in the liquid. The air stream is then passed through baffles, removing the entrained liquid from the air stream.
A common form of baffle used by the automotive industry in paint application systems, for example, comprise at least two columns of U-shaped rectangular vertical baffles. The baffles each include a web portion and perpendicular flange portions, such that the web portions of the first column of baffles faces the direction of the air flow and the second column of baffles overlaps the baffles in the first column with the flanges extending toward the direction of air flow. The baffle system thus requires the gas stream to flow around the web portions of the first column of baffles into the rectangular U-shaped baffles of the second column of baffles and around the flange portions of the second column of baffles, depositing the liquid on the baffles which flows downwardly and out of the system. The particle size of the liquid droplets or particles is generally greater than one micron (1 .mu.m). In a conventional baffle system of this type, the width of the web portion is eight inches, the length of the flange portions are four inches and the flange portions overlap 0.25 inches. The average face velocity measured parallel to the duct in a baffle system for a paint application system of this type is generally between one hundred fifty to three hundred fifty feet per minute (fpm). The problem with baffle systems of this type is poor efficiency. That is, less than about fifteen percent of the entrained liquid is removed from the gas stream.
Various attempts have been made to improve the efficiency of baffle systems for removing entrained liquid from a gas stream. For example, the velocity of the gas stream through the baffle system may be increased by overlapping the ends of the flange portions, thereby improving the efficiency of the baffle system. However, a liquid having entrained paint particles will collect between the overlapping flanges requiring more frequent maintenance. It is also more difficult to clean between the overlapping flanges. More importantly, overlapping flanges provide only a very limited improvement in efficiency, generally not exceeding two or three percent. Other proposed attempts to improve the efficiency of baffle systems for removing entrained liquid from a gas stream include complex baffle systems including, for example, spiral baffles, baffles having hook-shapes which further increase the velocity of the gas stream through the baffles to improve efficiency, etc. However, such complex baffle systems are relatively expensive to manufacture and require frequent maintenance particularly where a tacky substance, such as paint, is entrained in the liquid droplets or particles. Such complex baffle systems have not been found suitable for removing liquid entrained in a gas stream in a paint application system.
Thus, there remains a long-felt need for an improved baffle system which is relatively simple in construction, low in cost and having improved efficiency. Further, there is a need to reduce the maintenance costs of conventional baffle systems which reduces the collection of liquid and entrained tacky particles and which is easily cleaned, if necessary. As described below, the improved baffle system of this invention is relatively simple in construction, having reduced costs, particularly when compared to the complex baffle systems described above, and the baffle system of this invention has reduced maintenance costs when compared to baffle systems having overlapping elements.